by Mia Dymond
“Not a professional,” Harvard said. “A desperate maniac who has enough sense not to get caught.”
Diesel then provided information that gave him hope. “The owner of the resort, Mariano Russo, contacted me this morning to request an investigation. We’ll move into the suite with you and Bailey.”
“I’ll have Bailey contact the Concierge.”
“No need. She’s on the phone with Grace and Trista as we speak.”
He frowned. “Captain, do you think it’s safe for Trista to be at the resort? She’s probably more recognizable among these people.”
“Can’t leave her here.”
“We could put a couple of guys on her.”
“You gonna tell Bailey?”
“Never mind,” he mumbled. “Did Russo notify management?”
“Affirmative. Our participation is now public knowledge.”
“Do you need me for transport?”
“No, we’ll charter a boat. ETA O-eight-hundred.”
Ice lowered his cell, relieved by the revelation that back-up would arrive in the morning. Three heads were definitely better than one. Well, two. He had to admit, Bailey had been a valuable part of the investigation and without her, pulling information out of the staff would’ve taken much longer.
He paused at that thought. Speaking of Bailey, he hadn’t heard the shower.
He gave the front door one last glance to assure it remained locked and bolted and then stood, turned out the light, and headed for the bedroom.
Once he stood in the doorway and drank in the sight of her sprawled on her back on the bed and still dressed in her skimpy, bright blue bikini and those sexy sandals, murder moved to the back of his mind. The very back.
She braced herself on both elbows with her legs over the side of the bed. “Finish your phone call?”
Memories of the swimming pool assaulted his brain and he could only nod.
She tilted her head to one side. “I haven’t made it to the shower.”
“Don’t think you’re going to.”
He closed the distance between them until he knelt in front of her. She sat up, scooted to the edge of the bed, and draped her arms around his neck.
“You could join me,” she suggested while her hands massaged the base of his neck.
“Later. I’ve got a better idea.”
“I think I like it.”
She moved her hands to caress his chest and he took several slow breaths in an effort to hold on to some sense of self-control. Her touch made him weak.
“I won’t lie to you, Bailey, I’ve had a lot of women but I’m clean and I’m always safe.”
“Don’t care,” she murmured, “me too.”
He captured her wandering hands in his. “You too?”
“The clean and safe part, not the women.”
“Men?”
“A few.”
Her admission both relieved and irritated him. For some reason, the few men annoyed the hell out of him. His conscience laughed. Hypocrite.
Two tours in Afghanistan had taught him to take what he wanted while he could. He wasn’t ashamed of his history, nor would he apologize for it. Except now, he knew exactly what he wanted. Bailey. No one else.
“Well, that’s just too bad.” He smirked and stood to remove his shorts until he was naked and hard before her. “Because I plan to ruin you for any other man.”
She drew a lazy trail down his abdomen with one fingernail until her fist wrapped his cock. “Maybe I plan to ruin you for any other woman.”
He groaned and thrust his hips, sending his eager dick further into the tight confines of her hold. She gave it a squeeze and took several tight strokes down, up, and back again. Over the head, down, and then up, squeezing as she did so. He had to admit, she had a good start, but too much of a good thing could be dangerous at this point.
He locked his knees and settled into her rhythm, determined to hang on for dear life. Except when she suddenly released him and replaced her hands with her mouth, he realized he needed a new strategy.
“Bailey.” He growled her name as her plump lips closed around him and he quickly buried his fingers into her hair. “You are playing with fire.”
“Mmm.” She groaned around him as her tongue swept his already-weeping head and then scraped the sensitive skin just beneath.
His cock jumped in her mouth and he gave her hair a desperate yank. “Seriously, I’m working with an itchy trigger.”
The sexy little nymph simply batted those long eyelashes, wrapped one hand around the base of his cock, and sucked even harder. There was no use attempting to extract himself; her grip was tight and besides, it felt so freaking good.
“Easy.”
He gave her hair another pull which proved to be a mistake. She released a breathy whimper and pulled him all the way to the back of her throat where her muscles worked him just as tightly as her grip. And then, as he thrust his hips forward, she swallowed him whole.
His balls tightened to the point of blue while his cock screamed for release. One more good, hard thrust and he could put himself out of misery.
But, he wouldn’t.
He quickly peeled her fingers from around his length, replaced them with his own, and then carefully attempted to extract himself from her greedy lips.
“That’s it, baby,” he whispered as his cock slid nice and slow up her throat and then across her tongue. “Let it go.”
When he was finally totally free, he knelt again in front of her, dipped his index finger under her bikini bottoms, and dragged it across her slippery clit.
“Paybacks are a bitch.”
“Show me.”
She lifted her hips and he pulled off the menacing barrier. While he continued to tease, he leaned forward, reached behind her, untied her top with his free hand, and then tossed it to the side.
“My shoes,” she whispered as she attempted to sit up.
“No.” He nudged her hand to the side. “Leave the shoes.”
She raised an eyebrow and buckled her legs around his waist. “Do you really like them that much?”
“Hell, yeah.” He scooted her backward on the bed until she lay flat on her back, her feet still draped around him. “Sexiest damn things I’ve ever seen.”
He loosened one leg and then bent to place a kiss on the inside of her thigh. “You ready, baby?”
“Yes,” she groaned. “So ready.”
He eased her other leg off his hip, positioned himself on his stomach between her thighs, and then rested both her legs on his shoulders. Intoxicated by her scent, he opened his mouth over her mound, took her clit between his lips, and suckled like a starved man while he vigorously worked the slippery nub in an effort to make her just as crazy as he.
“Ice,” she murmured as she wound her fingers into his hair.
He moved his tongue over and around the wet flesh until finally, he entered her body to stroke her inner walls. Moisture pooled on his tongue. His needy cock pulsed between his legs.
Only because his body demanded it, he lifted his mouth from her and released a long, warm breath against her clit.
He lifted his head to meet her hazy gaze. “I’m prepared this time.”
“How did you -?”
“The Concierge is eager to please.”
“Well, that’s very noble of you, but totally unnecessary.”
“How so?”
“I trust you and I’ve got birth control covered.”
With her admission, he needed no further approval or encouragement.
“Turn over.”
She lifted one eyebrow in response.
“Turn over,” he repeated.
With a sly smile, she followed orders and rolled onto her stomach. He climbed onto the bed behind her, urged her closer to the middle, and then braced himself on his knees. He moved one palm over the smooth, creamy skin of her left ass cheek and then squeezed.
“Tightest ass on the planet,” he murmured.
She whimpere
d and pressed harder against his hand. He repeated the process on the opposite cheek and then moved closer to rub his cock over the surface. She continued to move her hips as if she could position him right where she needed him.
He chuckled. “In due time, baby.”
Desperate to make her insane with need, he lowered his hips and settled the head of his cock against the wet flesh between her legs, applying just enough pressure to cause an ache.
“Yes,” he murmured.
While his cock continued to press, he moved a hand back to a cheek, caressed the surface again, and this time gave it a firm smack.
She gasped and moaned and then backed up against him until his cock entered her, drenched in her desire. He pulled out, repositioned, and then slapped the opposite cheek. Again, he slid easily into her body. This time, he didn’t retreat.
He eased his full length into her body, leaned forward to place his lips in the crook of her neck, and then gave the soft skin a gentle but firm nip.
Bailey moaned at the sheer sensation of euphoria from Ice’s love bite on her neck and his expert ministrations on her body. He was exactly right; he had ruined her for any other man.
Goosebumps covered her skin and her nipples pebbled when his tongue traced the indention of her neck and then the outer shell of her ear.
“I think you like to be spanked,” he said into her ear.
No thinking about it, she did like it. A lot. Her body tightened around his length, still buried deep inside her.
“See? Even thinking about it excites you.”
“Ice,” she begged, “please.”
“Please what, baby?”
“Do it.”
He moved out and then into her body again. “Do what, exactly?”
“That,” she groaned. “Do that.”
Another slow stroke taunted her muscles. “Oh come on, sweetheart, you can do better than that. Tell me what you want.”
Now nearly incapacitated with both pleasure and need she could only whimper.
He left her body again, this time completely, and just when she wanted to scream with frustration, his fingers began to rub her tingling clit.
“Tell me,” he demanded, “or I’ll stop.”
“No!” she panted. “Love me, Ice. I want you to love me.”
“I do love you, but I think there’s more to this than love.”
She took a fleeting moment to process his profession of love, knowing full well he was dead serious. Ice always said exactly what he felt, like it or not.
And she loved it.
But he was right, this was more than love, this was pure animalistic possession.
And she loved it.
“Take me,” she groaned. “Make me yours, Ice.”
While his fingers continued to rub her clit, he gave a masculine grunt and then entered her in one hard, full thrust. Her inner muscles clamped down, sucking hard as he moved swiftly in and out of her body. Gone was the easygoing tease of a gentleman. No, this man was a hardcore soldier, determined to claim her as his own.
“I want it, Bailey,” he demanded.
“Not yet,” she moaned.
“Yes, now.”
He nudged her clit one last time and then squeezed it hard between his fingers while he continued to stroke at a maniacal rhythm. Suddenly, she had no choice but to give in. Her body, mind, and soul belonged to him and she had no intention of ever changing that.
Her muscles clenched around him one last time and incredible satisfaction carried her into blissful contentment. Lost in her own euphoria, she vaguely heard him gasp before she felt the warmth of his release inside her.
He placed several kisses against her ear until her muscles released him and he slid from her body. He lay beside her and pulled her back against him.
“I do love you,” he said quietly.
“I love you too.” She smiled and wiggled against him. “Now, would you mind removing my shoes?”
***
Diesel tossed his cell phone from hand to hand as he contemplated what he was about to do. It was just a freaking phone call, for Pete’s sake, why in the hell was he having such a hard time doing it? His decision was really the lesser of two evils. He could leave Trista in Hummingbird Bay to fend for herself and risk the wrath of Bailey, or he could suck it up, stop acting like a pantywaist and make the damn call.
He lifted the phone and stabbed numbers. Maybe he’d get lucky and have to leave a voicemail. He stalled again before he pressed the last number. Why was it his duty to make the call, anyway? He shook his head and tapped the final digit. Because apparently, he was in charge of making sure everyone followed orders. Sometimes pulling rank seriously sucked.
He listened to the ringing tones, encouraged after two or three that he may get to leave a voicemail. Except, that after the fourth, a soft, sultry voice crossed the line. He frowned. Since when did she sound like a phone sex operator?
“Trista?”
“Did you forget whose number you dialed?”
“No.”
“Well, hello Diesel.”
He ignored the goosebumps that crawled over his skin from the sound of his name on her voice. “I’ll pick you up at O-seven-Thirty tomorrow.”
“Let’s see, that’s seven thirty a.m., right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Why?”
“We’re going to Sea Gull Island.”
“Thanks, but I’ve already declined that invitation.”
He bit back a chuckle, amused that she thought he offered her a choice.
“O-seven-thirty,” he repeated.
“I said no thank you, Diesel.”
“I heard you.”
“Can you give me a little more explanation?”
This time, he chuckled out loud. He gave her an A for effort. “It won’t change your mind.”
“How do you know?”
“I know.”
“Then my answer remains the same.”
“Here’s the thing. If you’re not packed and ready to go on schedule, I’ll throw you over one shoulder and take you myself.”
“That’s kidnapping.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I should’ve brought security,” she mumbled.
“Your mistake.”
“What if I still insist on staying here?”
“Insist all you want, I’m twice your size. Besides, you don’t want to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve changed Bailey’s security code again and the only way to get it out of me is one that I don’t think you want to discuss.”
The following silence told him that he had achieved the result he intended.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
Trista frowned at the sudden silence on the end of the phone, pulled it from her ear to check the screen – disconnected, of course - and then quickly closed her mouth that had fallen open at his ultimatum. The man was so incredibly arrogant that he made her blood heat – and not from anger. After her conversation with Bailey, she had already changed her mind and planned to go with him all along but he didn’t have to be so demanding about it.
He really needed a woman, one who could give him a good swift kick in the rear end. She snorted. Even that probably wouldn’t do the trick. No, he’d give step-by-step instructions on how to do it to any female who attempted, and that more or less took the satisfaction out of it.
Wait a minute. How in the heck did he get her number? She had gone to great pains to keep it private and she certainly hadn’t given it to him. Realization made her smack her forehead with her palm. Actually, she did give it to him. She totally forgot that Diesel possessed several super-spy powers and had absolutely no trouble pulling it out of her.
She stood from the sofa and headed for the bedroom, resigned to the fact that he expected her to follow orders. She giggled while she tossed clothes into her suitcase. The joke was on him, she would follow on her own terms.
***
Sheer
panic and fear caused sweat droplets to gather on his forehead and race down the sides of his face. He was now officially a desperate man. The situation had spiraled completely out of his control and the only way out of it was either handcuffs or death – or both.
He quickly tapped numbers on his cell phone, for once anxious to relay information. Although he hated to admit defeat, his associate was the only one able to handle the situation now.
“We have to abort the operation,” he said quickly as the other man answered.
“That is not your decision to make.”
He dismissed the arrogant, matter-of-fact response. “Mr. Russo has called in outside reinforcements to investigate the circumstances.”
“My involvement has nothing to do with the circumstances you created.”
“Regardless, this interference will affect you as well as me.”
“Desperation has made you brave.”
He swallowed hard. What difference did it make to upset his associate? He was doomed either way.
“I mean no disrespect, there is just no way to continue without being discovered.”
“What exactly has Mr. Russo done that worries you?”
“There is a security team arriving tomorrow to investigate.”
His associate gave a low chuckle. “That is not worrisome to me.”
“They are experts and the staff has been instructed to allow them access to any information requested.”
“What else do you know about them?”
“Absolutely nothing. Any information I’ve attempted to gather does not exist. I suggest we suspend activity until I can get a better grip on the situation.”
The conversation took a momentary pause and he thought that maybe he had managed to talk some sense into the other man. Except, his hopes were dashed when the discussion resumed.
“Your suggestion is refused. The operation will proceed as scheduled.”
Undeterred, he tried again. “We risk losing everything.”
“You will deal with the mess you have created and if you cannot do it efficiently, I will deal with you. Am I understood?”
“Clearly,” he said without hesitation. “I will do everything in my power to see that things proceed accordingly.”
